title: Surveillance for Cryptococcus gattii in horses of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
abstract: In the last decade Cryptococcus gattii has emerged as an important human and animal pathogen in southwestern British Columbia (BC), Canada. When the disease initially emerged it was identified in humans and multiple animal species on the east coast of Vancouver Island. From fall 2003 until summer 2004, active surveillance was initiated to look for horses exposed to or infected with the organism by performing nasal cultures and serum antigen testing in horses residing within 10 km of known areas of environmental reservoirs of the fungus. Surveillance efforts were facilitated by local equine practitioners who were also encouraged to report clinical cases. Nasal colonization was identified in four of the 260 horses tested but none had a serum cryptococcal antigen titer. All positive horses were from the same geographic area near Duncan, BC. During the study period, a single horse was diagnosed with systemic cryptococcosis and euthanized; clinical and post mortem information is described. As this organism continues to disseminate in the Pacific Northwest it is important for veterinarians to be familiar with the disease as early diagnosis may enable more effective treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Colleen.duncan@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bobsien
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raverty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D001955:British Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006736:Horses; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008853:Microscopy; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal